Electronic organ with chord control

ABSTRACT

An electronic organ is provided in which chords can be enabled by the left hand on the lower manual or by a chord unit. However, the chord does not sound until a note is played on the upper manual as by the right hand. Thus, the playing of chords is controlled precisely in accordance with the playing of the melody notes.

United States Patent Kidd et al.

1451 Sept. 30, 1975 1 ELECTRONIC ORGAN WITH CHORD 3,708,602 1/1973 Hiyama 84/103 CONTROL 3,708,604 l/l973 Hebeisen et al. 84/103 3,711,618 l/l973 Freeman 84/1.03 1 Inventorsr Denms Kldd; Anthony 3,712,950 1/1973 Freeman 84/].03 Ippolito, both of North Tonawanda, 3,725,560 4/1973 Robinson et a1 84/ 1.01 N Y, 3,745,225 7/1973 Hall 84/1.03 3,823,246 7/1974 Hebeisen et al. 84/1.l7 [73] Asstgnee: The Wurlitzer Company, Ch1cago,

Primary Examiner.loseph W. Hartary [22] Filed: June 12, 1974 Assistant Examiner-Stanley J. Witkowski Attorney Agent, or FirmOlson, Trexler, Wolters A 4 7 [21] ppl 01 Bushnell & Fosse, Ltd.

[52] U.S. Cl. 84/1.01; 84/1.17; 84/D1G. 22 51 Int. Cl. c1011 1/00; 0101-1 5/00 [57] ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 84/l.01, 1.03, 1.17, 1.24, An electronic organ is provided in which chords can 84/DIG. 22 be enabled by the left hand on the lower manual or by a chord unit. However, the chord does not sound until [56] References Cited a note is played on the upper manual as by the right UNITED STATES PATENTS hand. Thus, the playing of chords is controlled pre- 3,247,310 4/1966 Stinson, Jr. 84/1.17 csely accordance the playmg of the melody 3,548,066 12/1970 Freeman 84/103 notes- 3,590,l29 6/1971 Freeman... 84/l.Ol 3,697,664 10 1972 Hiyama 84/l.17 11 3 Drawmg F'gures l2 UM r ,14 UM ,/s UM. is KEYSWITCHES GENERATORS FILTERS AMPLIFIER 22 24 19 CHORD CHORD GATE CONTROL J MF CHORD CHORD 6 mm ggggy- CHORD 54 65 J SELECTOR 1 44 4s 34 6'0- i f L.M HoRb ALT TONE KEYSW/TCHES GENERATORS I Ala/{52,78 GATE 1 ()4 L". AAPLIFIER MIXER 8 FILTERS U.S. Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet 2 of3 3,908,502

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m9 m9 v9 n2 mm ELECTRONIC ORGAN WITH CHORD CONTROL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the playing of most keyboard music, specifically organ music, and even more particularly music for the electronic organ, it is common practice to play one or more melody notes with the right hand and to play accompanying chords with the left hand. It is common practice in the playing of organ music to play the melody on the upper manual and to play the accompanying chords on the lower manual, accompanied by the bass or foot pedals.

In electronic organs a choice is often given to the player in the playing of chords by the left hand on the lower manual, or in a chord unit which has buttons labeled for the principal chords, wherein each button is wired to connect the three or more notes for the chord to which it pertains. Many beginning players find it difficult to coordinate the left and right hand so that chords and melody notes are played at the same time. Stated conversely, it is common with beginning players to have the chords either lead or lag the melody notes. This does not sound right, and it is often likely to confuse a novice musician. I

In many electronic organs the chords, particularly when played from a chord control button board, are interconnected with a rhythm unit so that once a chord has been selected it plays in a predetermined rhythmic pattern. The player then must play the melody notes in proper time with the chords. Different players respond quite differently to this. For some it is a simple matter, for some it is not too difficult, but for others it is absolutely impossible, and leads to complete confusion.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The principle object of the present invention is to simplify chord playing, particularly for the beginning organist.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic organ in which the chords are selected by the player, but do not play until a respective melody is played, whereby the chord plays in exact time with a melody note.

In order to effect the foregoing objects, electronic circuitry is provided, whereby a chord is selected by the organist, either by the left hand on the lower manual, or by a chord button array. In either event, the organist depresses the keys or chord button as if to play the chord. This does not actually play the chord, but enables it, or sets up switching so that the chord will play.

Subsequently, whenever a melody note is played with' the right hand a pulse is produced by closing of the respective key switch, and this pulse causes the enabled chord to play precisely in time with the melody note. The keys or button for a chord can be held down indefinitely, but the chord will only sound for a predetermined time increment immediately upon the closing of the switch of a melody key.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will best be understood with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic wiring diagram corresponding to part of the block diagram; and

FIG. 3 is a further schematic wiring diagram illustrating outer parts of the block diagram.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Attention first should be directed to FIG. 1 for a general understanding of the invention. The block diagram represents an electronic organ l0 and includes a plurality of upper manual key switches 12 corresponding to the keys of an upper manual. This manual may be a full 6 I -note keyboard, or a shortened spinet-type keyboard, such as one having 44 notes. The upper manual key switches are connected to upper manual tone generators 14. Any tone generators known in the art may be satisfactory for this purpose, including separate generators, or one octave of master oscillators with divider oscillators to provide the tones for lower octaves, or a single very high frequency oscillator with a plurality of parallel divider paths of different ratios to provide the top octave of generators with subsequent divide-by-two circuits to provide the lower octaves. The upper manual tone generators 14 are connected to upper manual filters 16 which will be understood as also including the requisite stop tablet switches for selecting the desired filters. The upper manual filters 16 are connected to an upper manual amplifier 18, and this in turn is connected to a loud speaker 20 which generally is housed within the organ case or cabinet, but which may be externally disposed. As will be understood, there may be one or more loud speakers for the entire organ, and there may be a single output power amplifier, or different amplifiers for different channels, etc., all as is well known within the state of the art.

The upper manual key switches are arranged so as to provide a pulse each time a key switch is closed, irrespective of whether prior key switches remain closed or not, i.e. whether the playing is staccato or legato. Various means are known in the art for producing such pulses, and one such preferred structure is to be found in Ippolito et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,344 assigned to the same assignee of record and incorporated herein by reference. In any event, the pulses from the key switches 12 are connected to a chord gate 22, and the output of the chord gate in turn is connected to a chord control 24. The output of the chord control at 26 splits, and is connected at 28 to chord frequency gates 30, and is connected at 32 to a lower manual chord mixer and filter 34.

A multiple frequency generator 36 is provided which simultaneously provides all the notes that might be used in playing chords. This multiple frequency generator preferably is similar to the tone generator disclosed in the aforesaid Ippolito et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,344, comprising a single radio frequency oscillator, a plurality of parallel divider circuits of different ratio to provide a top octave of tones, and subsequent divide-bytwo circuits to provide lower octave tones. The output of the multiple frequency generator is connected to provide chord tones '38. The chord tones at 38 are connected to the chord frequency gates 30.

There is also provided a chord selector 40 which may be a chord unit or button board array of buttons for the common chords, preferably including the major, minor and seventh.

The organ also is provided with lower manual key switches 42 corresponding respectively to the keys of the lower manual or keyboard. These key switches are connected to lower manual tone generators 44 which preferably are similar to the upper manual tone generators 14. One output 46 of the lower manual tone gene: ators is connected to the lower manual chord mixer and filter, while an additional output 48 is connected to a lower manual mixer and filters 50, including suitable stop tablets. The latteris for playing of chords in the normal manner rather than through the chord control of the present invention. The output of the lower manual mixer and filters 50 is connected at 52 to a lower manual amplifier 54, and this in turn is connected to a loud speaker 56. As will be understood, the upper manual amplifier 18 and lower manual amplifier could comprise a single power output amplifier, and could be connected to a single speaker or speaker array. However, there are some advantages in handling the upper and lower manual channels separately.

The output of the chord frequency gates 30 is connected at 58 to an alternate gate 60. The output of the lower manual chord mixer and filter 34 similarly is connected at 62 to the alternate gate 60. One control for the alternate gate 60 is provided at 64 from the chord selector 40, while a second control 66 is provided to the alternate gate 60 from the lower manual key switches 42. These controls respectively act through the alternate gate 60 to pass either the output from the lower manual chord mixer and filter or the output from the chord frequency gates, depending upon whether chords are being played by the lower manual key switches, or by the chord selector 40.

Attention now should be directed to FIG. 2, and first to the lower right hand corner thereof where the chord gate 22 will be seen to comprise a PNP transistor 68 having the emitter thereof connected to a normally open chord controlling stop switch 70 operated by a stop tablet on the organ. The other side of the switch is connected to a positive l2-volt source. The base of the transistor 68 is connected to a junction 72 which is connected through a resistor 74 to a positive l2-volt source, whereby normally to hold the transistor 22 off irrespective of whether or not the switch 70 is closed. The junction 72 also is connected through a resistor 76 to the upper manual key switches 12 by a line 78 on which a pulse is supplied from the upper manual key switches whenever a switch is closed. This lowers the potential on the base so that with the switch 70 closed the transistor 68 is turned on.

The collector of the transistor 68 is connected through a resistor 80 to a shunting resistor 86, and hence to the base of an NPN transistor 88. The collector of this transistor is connected through a resistor 90 to a positive l2-volt supply, while the emitter is connected in an emitter follower configuration to a shunt ing sustain capacitor 92 in parallel with a timing resistor 94, and also to the line 32 previously mentioned, leading to FIG. 3 as hereinafter set forth.

The line 28 leads to the chord frequency gate 30 as aforesaid, and specifically through respective resistors 96, 98, 100 and 102 to lines 104, 106, 108 and 110. These lines are respectively shunted to ground by low value capacitors 112, 114, 116 and 118, and are connected to the anodes of respective diodes 120, 122, 124 and 126. The cathodes of these diodes are respectively provided with chord tones from the chord tones source 38, and these comprise the root frequency, the seventh frequency, the third frequency and the fifth frequency respectively, and specifically of the piano tones. As will be understood, the root frequency, and hence the respective odd harmonics change in accordance with the Jarticular chord played on the chord selector unit 40. Preferably, the frequencies are derived from a chord chip of the type disclosed in William V. Machanian application Ser. No. 475,449 filed June 3, 1974 for Electronic Musical Instrument Using Integrated Circuit Components and assigned to the same assignee of record. The frequencies passed by the respective diodes are rectangular waves. The rectangular waves appearing on the lines 104, 106, 108 and are combined through respective resistors 128, 130, 132 and 134 to a common line 136.

The common line 136 is connected toground by means of a resistor 138, and it also is connected by means of a capacitor 140 to the base of an NPN transistor 142. The base is biased by means of a shunting resistor 144 to ground, and by means of a resistor 146 connected to the collector, and also connected through a resistor 148 to a positive l8-volt source. The emitter is grounded.

The output of the transistor is taken from the collector through a resistor 150 to a piano filter 152 comprising a series resistor 154 from an input junction 156 to the base of a transistor 158. A capacitor 160 is connected from the junction 156 to the emitter of the transistor, which will be seen to be a NPN transistor, while a capacitor 162 is connected between the base and the emitter. An additional capacitor 164 is connected from the base to ground, while the emitter also is grounded through a resistor 166. The collector is direct connected to a positive l8-volt source. The output appears at the emitter and has an envelope generally as indicated at 168, having a sudden attack and subsequently decay curve, generally simulating the envelope of a piano tone.

This output is connected through a resistor and through a capacitor 172 across a shunting resistor 174 and to an output point 176 leading to the circuitry of FIG. 3, to which attention should now be directed.

Various tonal inputs are connected through resistors 178 (FIG. 3) to a common line 180 to staircase the square wave tonal inputs. The square waves are provided from a lower manual keying circuit through the connection 46, whereby chords can be played from the lower manual key switches 42 rather than from the chord selector 40. Although the lower manual tone signals can be obtained from various sources, it is preferred that they be obtained from a large scale integrated circuit as set forth in considerable detail in the co-pending application of William V. Machanian, Ser. No. 475,448 filed June 3, 1974 for Electronic Musical Instrument For Using Integrated Circuit Components and assigned to the same assignee of record. In any event, square waves appearing on the lines 46 and applied through the resistors 178 are staircased on the common line 180 to provide near sawtooth waves having both odd and even harmonics. The sawtooth waves corresponding to the chord notes played on the lower manual are applied from the common line 180 through a capacitor 182 to the base of an NPN transistor 184. The emitter is grounded, as shown, while the collector is connected through a resistor 186 to a positive I 8-volt source. The base is biased from a connection to the collector through voltage divider resistors 188 and 190, the lower end of the last-mentioned resistor being grounded.

The output is taken from the collector of the transistor 184 through a resistor 192 and a series capacitor 194, and is connected to the input 196 of a light dependent resistor 198. This input also is grounded through a resistor 200. The output of the light dependent resistor is connected to a junction point 202.

The light dependent resistor (LDR)-is part of a package 204 with a light emitting diode (LED) 206 having an input at 208, and a grounded output at 210.

The line 32 connected to the output of the transistor 88 (FIG. 2) of the chord control 24 is connected in FIG. 3 to the base of an NPN transistor 212 having an emitter follower output at 214 leading through a resistor 216 to the input 208 of the LDR-LED package 204. The transistor 212 at the collector thereof direct connected to a positive l8-volt source, while the emitter is grounded through a resistor 218.

The signal or voltage out of the transistor 212 is determined by the piano sustain capacitor 92, and the wave shape is indicated in FIG. 3 at 220, having a rapid attack and a typical capacitor discharge decay. As will be apparent, the LDR 198 has a very high resistance in the dark state. However, when the wave shape 220 is applied to the LED the LDR is illuminated, and promptly becomes quite conductive, tapering off to a very high impedance, whereby the chord tones played on the lower manual are percussively reproduced whenever a note on the upper manual is played.

The junction point 202 to which the output of the LDR is connected is grounded through a resistor 222, and passes through a capacitor 224 to the lower manual chord mixer and filter. The filter is specifically a piano filter, and includes an input series resistor 226 connected to a junction point 228. A further series resistor 230 leads to the base of an NPN transistor 232, the collector of which is direct connected to a positive l8volt source. The top end of a voltage divider resistor 234 is also connected to this source, the lower end being connected through the resistors 226 and 230 to the base, while the voltage divider is completed by a resistor 236 from the bottom of the resistor 234 to ground.

The filter 34 further includes a capacitor 238 connected from the junction point 228 to the emitter of the transistor 232. A shunting capacitor 240. connects the base to the emitter. The base further is connected to ground by a shunting capacitor 242, while the emitter is grounded through a resistor 244, the transistor 232 thus being in an emitter follower connection.

The output is taken through a resistor246 and a series capacitor 248 to the output line 58 leading to the alternate gates 60, and specifically an input connection 250 thereof which is shunted to ground by a resistor 252. The input 250 is connected to a field effect transistor (FET) 254, having the output thereof connected to the lower manual amplifier 54, which is shown only in part in FIG. 3.

An additional field effect transistor 256 is included in the gates 60, and the input 258 thereof is supplied from the line 176 previously referred to in FIG. 2. This input.

ing-spikes, or the like appearing at 266. The output at 266 is connected through a capacitor 272 to an NPN transistor 274 forming a first amplification stage of the lower manual amplifier 54. The emitter is direct grounded, while the collector is connected through a resistor 276 to a positive l8-volt supply source. The.

base is biased by a voltage divider resistor pair'278 and 280. The output is taken from thecollector through a series resistor 282 and capacitor 284 to a line 286 for further amplification and application to the loud speaker.

A preferred example of the present invention has now been fully set forth. Achord can be selected by the organ player either by way of the chord selector unit 40 or by way of the lower manual key switches 42 associated with the respective keys of the lower manual, but the chord does not sound until a note is played on the upper manual, whereby to provide an appropriate gating signal, as heretofore set forth to pulse the chord frequencies to the output of the organ. Regardless of whether the upper manual is played legato or staccato the chord output is pulsed in perfect time with the note playing of the upper manual each chord tone plays for a maximum of approximately a half-second, but the latter portion of this half-second is at very low intensity, whereby it will be completely masked by the higher intensity of the new chord tone if the further note is played on the upper manual.

The specific example of the invention as herein shown and described is for illustrative purposes only. Various changes will no doubt occur to those skilled in the art and will be understood as forming part of the present invention insofar as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. In an electronic musical instrument, the combination comprising means for generating electric oscillations corresponding to the notes'of a chord, manually operable means for selecting the electric oscillations of a desired chord, gate means to which selected oscillations are supplied, said gate means being normally inoperative to pass said oscillations means for generating oscillations corresponding to melody notes, keyboard means having a plurality of keys for manually playing a melody, and means electrically interconnecting said keys and said gate means to render said gate means effective to conduct manually selected chord oscillations whenever one of said keys is depressed.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means electrically interconnecting said keys and said gate means comprises means for providing a pulse when any key is depressed to render saidgate means conductive.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the manually operable means for selecting electric oscillations of a desired chord selector comprises both a chord unit and a second keyboard.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein there are two gate means, one for saidchord selector unit, and one for said second keyboard.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein both of said gate means are simultaneously turned on upon depression of a melody key, and further including combining circuit means receiving oscillations from said gate means and comprising two secondary gates respectively connected to said chord selector unit and said second keyboard, and additional means interconnecting said chord selector unit and said second keyboard respectively with said secondary gates respectively to change each secondary gate from a nonconducting to a conducting condition.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein one of said gate means comprises in combination a light-emitting diode and a light dependent resistor.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said one gate means is interconnected with the second keyboard.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein one gate means comprises a plurality of diode gates respectively connected to different electronic oscillation generating means for the respective notes of a chord.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein said diode gates are connected to said chord selector unit.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein one gate means comprises a light-emitting diode and light dependent resistor combination connected to the second keyboard, and the second gate means comprises a plurality of diode gates respectively connected to the different oscillation generators of said chord selector unit.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 2 and further including a resistance-capacitance filter connected to said gate means for effecting opening of said gate means at a'first time interval and closing thereof at a second time interval greater than said first time interval.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,908,502 Dated September 30. 1975 Inv Dennis E. Kidd and Anthony C. I polito It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 6, line 63, cancel "'selector" "Col. 6, line 64, after "chord" insert -se1ector- Signed and Scaled this ninth Day of March 1976 [SEAL] A ttes t.

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN A Nesting Office Commissioner ufParents and Trademarks UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent 3,908,502 Dated September 30, 1975 lnventofls) Dennis E. Kidd and Anthony C. Ippolito It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 6, line 63, cancel "'selector" Col. 6, line 64, after "chord" insert -selector-- Signed and Scaled this ninth Day of March 1976 [SEAL] A ttes t:

RUTH C. MASON C MARSHALL DANN Arresting Office Commissioner oj'Parents and Trademarks 

1. In an electronic musical instrument, the combination comprising means for generating electric oscillations corresponding to the notes of a chord, manually operable means for selecting the electric oscillations of a desired chord, gate means to which selected oscillations are supplied, said gate means being normally inoperative to pass said oscillations means for generating oscillations corresponding to melody notes, keyboard means having a plurality of keys for manually playing a melody, and means electrically interconnecting said keys and said gate means to render said gate means effective to conduct manually selected chord oscillations whenever one of said keys is depressed.
 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means electrically interconnecting said keys and said gate means comprises means for providing a pulse when any key is depressed to render said gate means conductive.
 3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the manually operable means for selecting electric oscillations of a desired chord selector comprises both a chord unit and a second keyboard.
 4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein there are two gate means, one for said chord selector unit, and one for said second keyboard.
 5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein both of said gate means are simultaneously turned on upon depression of a melody key, and further including combining circuit means receiving oscillations from said gate means and comprising two secondary gates respectively connected to said chord selector unit and said second keyboard, and additional means interconnecting said chord selector unit and said second keyboard respectively with said secondary gates respectively to change each secondary gate from a non-conducting to a conducting condition.
 6. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein one of said gate means comprises in combination a light-emitting diode and a light dependent resistor.
 7. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said one gate means is interconnected with the second keyboard.
 8. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein one gate means comprises a plurality of diode gates respectively connected to different electronic oscillation generating means for the respective notes of a chord.
 9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein said diode gates are connected to said chord selector unit.
 10. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein one gate means comprises a light-emitting diode and light dependent resistor combination connected to the second keyboard, and the second gate means comprises a plurality of diode gates respectively connected to the different oscillation generators of said chord selector unit.
 11. The combination as set forth in claim 2 and further including a resistance-capacitance filter connected to said gate means for effecting opening of said gate means at a first time interval and closing thereof at a second time interval greater than said first time interval. 